Account

Pitch update

New-business directors seem to talk every year about the summer lull, and this year is no exception, with a real lack of major creative pitches to get everyone talking. So thank God then for COI, now the UK's biggest advertiser, which is handing out briefs on what seems to be a daily basis.

The organisation has called a creative pitch for a Youth Alcohol Action
Plan brief, with Wieden & Kennedy, Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R,
VCCP and Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy shortlisted, as well as pitches
for the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission and for the
Department of Health's sexual health business.

Add to that news this week (page 1) of a COI media roster review and we
reckon that the organisation is going to keep this column pretty busy
over the next few months ...

In the media world, Carat and MediaCom are getting close to playing the
final note on the pan-European Universal Music media review. The folk at
Carat had their final meeting with Universal last week, but MediaCom
will have to wait two weeks for their final discussions with the
recording giant.

In DM, it appears that the Department of Health pitch to promote its
Healthy Start scheme has hit a few problems. Apparently, the
organisation is still unclear as to what it wants the prospective
campaign to entail, and has decided to delay the pitch until it makes
its mind up.

And it might not be the most lucrative account, but it seems that a huge
number of agencies are attending chemistry meetings with the Natural
History Museum this week.

Is this because of the creative opportunities that such an account will
offer, or is it a sign of the times that agencies are willing to jump
for pretty much anything just now?

But if you're really desperate, why not call the Agriculture and
Horticulture Development Board? The organisation is looking for an
agency to handle an integrated campaign encouraging consumers to buy
more potatoes. Don't all rush at once ...